Rangjung Rigpe Dorje

Rangjung Rigpe Dorjé (1924 - 1981) is a Buddhist personality Tibetan considered in this tradition as the 16th incarnation of the Karmapa. Spiritual leader of the school Kagyupa of the Buddhism Tibetan.

Biography

16th Karmapa , Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, was born in Denkhok in the Kham (Eastern Tibet) in 1924 in a noble family Athoub. The Tulku Tcheukyl Dordjé (5th Dzogtchen Rinpoché, Thubten Choeky Dorje), abbot of the monastery of Dzogtchen Nyingma, had predicted the birth of large a bodhisattva to the future mother whereas it was pregnant. On its council, it was installed in a cave where Padmasambhava had meditated, while waiting for the birth.

The 11th Taï Sitou Rinpoché, one of most eminent spangled Kagyu tradition, recognized quickly the child as being new Karmapa and asked confirmation of it the 13th Dalaï Lama. The details of the birth corresponded to the indications mentioned in the letter of prediction entrusted by 15th Karmapa to its assistant. Meanwhile, the child accepted his first ordination and took the wishes of bodhisattva near Taï Sitou Rinpoché and of Kongtroul Rinpoché de Palpung, the two principal disciples of his predecessor. A little later the 13th Dalai Lama forwarded her confirmation. The child was eight years old and always resided at the kingdom of Degué when it accepted the Vajra Cap and the formal robes of Karmapa, which were brought to him of Tsourphou. He visited the monastery of Palpung, stopping in way to bless the famous printing works of the monastery of Dégué. It is there that he was established like 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpé Dorjé, by the abbot of the monastery of Palpung, Taï Sitou Rinpoché, which then accompanied it for the long voyage which was to lead it to Tsourphou, seat of the Karmapa S with the central Tibet where he was accommodated by Gyaltsab Rinpoché, Kongtroul de Palpung, and Pawo Rinpoché. Rangjung Rigpe Dorjé studied with Bérou Khyentsé Rinpoché and large the pandit Bo Gongkar, celebrated like the last large scholar Kamtsang Kagyu of the time. Gongkar Rinpoché had memorized the totality of the Tripitaka and counted among its students the accomplished scholar Sakya, Detchoung Rinpoché. Whereas he studied with Gongkar Rinpoché, 16th Karmapa told with its LAMA the episodes of its preceding existences. A few years later, 16th Karmapa was invited to go to China, but did not accept this invitation personally, preferring to delegate Bérou Khyentsé Rinpoché to represent it.

In Dzongsar, with the monastery of Khyentsé Tcheuky Lodreu, the large scholar Rhyme, Rigpe Dorjé achieves the ceremony of the Black Cap. Khyentsé Rinpoché saw Rangjung Rigpe Dorjé under the aspect of Düsum Khyenpa, 1st Karmapa. From return to Palpung, Rigpe Dorjé accepted ritual initiations, readings and instructions of the whole of the spiritual practices of the tradition Sakya (Droup Thap Kun Tou).

In 1940, 16th Karmapa undertook the return voyage towards Tsourphou. There, during the three following years, he devoted himself intensively to the practice.

In 1955, serious conflicts burst in the districts of Dergué and Nang-Shin to the Kham. 16th Karmapa went to Tchamdo where it tried to bring back peace between Khampas and the Chinese forces. The two parts promised to observe a five years truce.

Beginning 1957, of serious conflicts had again burst with the Kham. A flood of refugees flowed towards the central Tibet. Among them was much of spangled Kagyu the such 9th Sangyé Nyenpa Rinpoché, Taï Sitou Rinpoché, Talep Rinpoché and their disciples, who came to Tsourphou. At that time, 16th Karmapa recognized new Kongtrul Rinpoché of Palpung and Bongsar Khyentsé Rinpoché. De Chetchen Kongtrul, 16th Karmapa accepted the transmissions scripturaires and the lesson of Longtchen Dzeudun, the deep work in seven volumes of Longtchenpa which deals with Maha ATI (Dzogchen).

Since the Kham, unrelentingly, the conflict gained the central Tibet. 16th Karmapa sent Taï Sitou Rinpoché, Sangyé Rinpoché and the Master of meditation Kalou Rinpoché with the Bhutan. The young person Jamgoeun Kongtrul de Palpung was sent to Kalimpong, in India, in his family, Sandou, of commercial rich person. On the other hand, 16th Karmapa itself refused to leave at that time, saying that it would gain the Bhutan if the situation worsened. Its intention was to remain with Tsourphou until the last moment, in order to carry assistance to the refugees.

The conflicts between the Chinese communist army and resistance khampa made rage in all now the Tibet. Realizing that it was to now leave Tibet in order to take care of the safeguarding of Dharma, 16th Karmapa solved to leave.

At the border of the Bhutan and India, 16th Karmapa met the Prime Minister for the Sikkim which transmitted the invitation of Maharaja to him to come to reside at the Sikkim. 16th Karmapa accepted the invitation and it was cordially accommodated by the royal family and the population. It was asked him where it wished to be established. He answered that as refugees Tibetans, they kept the hope of being able one day to turn over to the Tibet. However, since 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje had made build the monastery of Rumtek, him, 16th Karmapa, wished to establish its seat in exile there.

During the winter 1959-1960, 16th Karmapa went in India where it met initially the Dalaï Lama in Bénarès and, later, Pandit Nehru, then Prime Minister. The summer, 16th Karmapa conferred many initiations on the crowd which pressed itself to see it. The governments of the Sikkim and the India gave to him of the important funds to help it to build a new monastery, on a ground of thirty hectares close to the old monastery of Rumtek.

16th Karmapa ordered more than three thousand monks and recognized hundreds of Tulku S. It made publish a new edition of the Kangyour, the encyclopedia of the lesson of the Bouddha.

In 1974, it requires of Guendune Rinpoché to found a monastery, traditional centers of retirement and a temple in France. It achieved three rounds all over the world. The third travels more particularly led it to go to America and Southeast Asia. It thus established centers of Dharma and monasteries a little everywhere, in order to protect, preserve and spread the teaching of the Buddha.

16th Karmapa left its body the November 5th 1981 in the United States at the hospital of Chicago. It was incinerated with Rumtek.

As recalled it Kalou Rinpoché at the time of its visit to Dhagpo Kagyu Ling in November 1984, 16th Karmapa predicted that the activity of its 17th incarnation in the world would be even larger than that of the preceding one. thumb|250px|Monastery of [[Rumtek]] with [[Sikkim]], seat of Karmapa in exile

References

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